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I would hold off on investing in acrylic paints and brushes until Olivia can be enrolled in a class for beginners where she will be more likely to get off on the right foot.

Originally Posted by Lucretia

Another thing she might like--water color pencils. You draw with the pencils then use a water-filled brush on the drawing to get a watercolor-like effect.

This is a great idea. Water color pencils and/or crayons are a lot of fun, and will help Olivia further develop her drawing skills. Paper is obviously less expensive than canvas, she can use them wet or dry, and they require no time to setup or put away. Good ones are not inexpensive, but they will last her a long time. I have these and these. If you decide to go this route, you should also get her these.

I would hold off on investing in acrylic paints and brushes until Olivia can be enrolled in a class for beginners where she will be more likely to get off on the right foot.

This is a great idea. Water color pencils and/or crayons are a lot of fun, and will help Olivia further develop her drawing skills. Paper is obviously less expensive than canvas, she can use them wet or dry, and they require no time to setup or put away. Good ones are not inexpensive, but they will last her a long time. I have these and these. If you decide to go this route, you should also get her these.

Let us know what you decide to do.

I pretty much agree as I didn't know the age at the time I suggest acrylics. Once I did I highly suggest the Drawing books for children and let them pick out the one they want to start with. Be it baby animals, horse, people etc. I drew till I was in my teens before I ever even considered painting. As for formal lesson those I would avoid for a good while as that tends to turn some kids off. Kind of like a parent pushing music lessons on a kid that looses interest in it over time. Color pencils, crayons etc would all work well also.

I was a few years older than Olivia when I started taking lessons and working with acrylics, and it was my choice (it should be hers as well). I loved the woman that taught me as a child (a professional painter married to a very successful sculptor). There were a small number of us that would meet in her studio and just work on whatever we wanted under her watchful eye. She would usually demonstrate a technique for a few minutes at the start of each class, then set us loose to work on our own project. Always relaxed and supportive. It helps to have someone show you how to hold a brush properly, set up a palette, get your paint to a good consistency, mix colors, clean brushes, etc.

I was a few years older than Olivia when I started taking lessons and working with acrylics, and it was my choice (it should be hers as well). I loved the woman that taught me as a child (a professional painter married to a very successful sculptor). There were a small number of us that would meet in her studio and just work on whatever we wanted under her watchful eye. She would usually demonstrate a technique for a few minutes at the start of each class, then set us loose to work on our own project. Always relaxed and supportive. It helps to have someone show you how to hold a brush properly, set up a palette, get your paint to a good consistency, mix colors, clean brushes, etc.

A few thoughts.
Favorite on line art supplier retailer: Daniel Smith in Seattle.
Good basic water colors: Winsor Newton student grade. Used them for many years and the paintings still look fresh.
I respectfully disagree with comments suggesting acrylics and water colors behave the same. Similar, yes, but with the different binders used, and I suspect different colorant grain sizes, watercolors exhibit very different behaviors at times. For instance, I've never seen acrylics that have pigment settle into the paper's texture like watercolor does.